(October 2021, US Department of Labor Statistics) Major labor market indicators show the employment situation for people with a disability has improved since the onset of the pandemic. The unemployment rate for people with a disability hit a new high of 17.7 percent in the second quarter of 2020, more than the prior high of 16.3 percent in the third quarter of 2011.
The labor force participation rate and employment-population ratio for people with a disability have increased in 2021. In the third quarter of 2021, the labor force participation rate was 21.7 percent, the highest rate since 2010. The employment-population ratio, at 19.4 percent in the third quarter of 2021, nearly returned to a pre-pandemic level.
